Tasty Menus

You have all seen the video recipes on the web that are designed to be practical and for everyday use at home but I have been asked by a couple of people in the last month to share the food that I would cook for clients. Its been a while since I have written any menus and I must say it is something that I miss. I find it the most exciting part of being a chef, letting your imagination run wild and created dishes on paper that will be brought to life at a later stage. When I write menus I picture walking through the markets in my head looking for the best produce and indeed some of the best dishes will actually come into your head as you are out and about shopping for produce.

So I when I sat down last week to write menus for our new catering business minted I was bursting full of ideas and knowing that these would be served at a whole host of special events it was essential to make them extra special! I have always been of the opinion though that a menu should read very simple and the real skill is bringing it to life on the plates and beating people's expectations. Let me know what you think of these examples and if they would leave you salivating or you'd rather pop down the local Mcdonalds?

STARTERS

Organic Irish Smoked Salmon with New Potato Salad, Pickled Cucumber and Lime Crème Fraiche

Pan Seared Scallops with Crispy Bacon, Watercress Salad and Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cappuccino of Asparagus with Aged Parmesan and Truffle

Warm Tartlet of Roasted Peppers, Caramelised Onions and Air Dried Tomatoes with Aubergine Caviar

King Prawns with Ginger, Chilli and Lemongrass broth

Antipasti Plate with Prosciutto, Marinated Artichokes, Spiced Olives,

Parmigiano Reggiano and Roasted Onion Foccacia

Seared Duck Breast with Wilted Chinese Greens, Hoi Sin Sauce and Crispy Noodles

Roasted Fois Gras with Toasted Brioche, Caramelised Pears and Calvados Reduction

Lobster Salad with Grilled Asparagus, Summer Herbs and Saffron Aioli

Salad of Smoked Chicken, Green Beans, Quails Eggs and Basil wit

Citrus Vinaigrette

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MAIN COURSES

Pan Seared Fillet of Beef with Celeriac Purée, Truffled Potatoes, Wild

Mushrooms and Thyme Jus

Slow Roast Rib of Kobe Beef with Glazed Baby Vegetables, Fondant

Potatoes and Fresh Horseradish

Herb Crusted Fillet of Lamb with Marinated Vegetables, Sundried Tomato

Couscous and Basil Oil

Risotto of Fresh Langoustines with Garden Peas, Saffron and Braised

Scallions

Pan Seared Tuna with Mango and Papaya Salsa, Glass Noodles and Baby

Fennel

Fillet of Sea Bass with Basil Mash, Sautéed Spinach, Baby Ratatouille

and Saffron Cream

Breast of Free Range Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto Stuffed with Leeks

and Parmesan and served with Polenta and Char Grilled Aubergines

Local Lobster Tail with New Potatoes, Asparagus and Herbed Hollandaise

Fillets of Sole with Panko and Wasabi Crust, Braised Asian Greens and

Marinated Tomatoes

Fresh Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers, Char Grilled Zucchini, Porcini

Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic and Rocket

Desserts

White and Dark Chocolate Mousse with Sable Biscuits

Fresh Seasonal Wild Berries with Sweet Mascarpone and Amaretto
Biscotti

Warm Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Lemon Tart with Raspberry Sorbet

Banana and Coconut Crumble served with Baileys Ice Cream

Classic Tiramisu

Sherry Trifle 2008

Fresh Figs Baked with Thyme and Honey and served with Sweetened

Sicilian Ricotta

Passion Fruit and Lime Mousse with Red Berry Reduction

Selection of Irish and French Farmhouse Cheeses

Chocolate Brownie Recipe

I didnt write a post about Valentines day on the day as that is what every man and their dog seems to do. My logic on the situation is that you should treat your better half with food and surprises all year round instead of when the marketing people deem it right! You could shower people with presents, take them on holidays or splash lots of cash on them but I have never seen people happier than when they receive food unexpectadly as a gift. Think of a surprise meal somebody has cooked for you, a home made birthday cake, friends cooking you a BBQ or a surprise breakfast in bed and they are all bring back fantastic memories. Food has a way of bringing people together and most of our fondest memories will involve some form of edible treat! I am going to put what I preach into practice this week and make these brownies and share them around friends. I learnt this recipe from an American family who came onboard one of the botas I worked on. They are completly and utterly delicious and couldn't really be any easier to make! The recipe is below and for those of you who struggle with cooking the video demo is here.

Chocolate Brownies

* 340g Unsalted Butter
* 340g Bitter Sweet Chocolate
* 175g All Purpose or Cake Flour
* 140g Coco Powder
* 600g Sugar
* Salt
* 6 Eggs


Step by step



1. Set up a bain marie or double boiler (a bowl over a small pot of simmering water);

2. Keeping it on a very low heat add the butter and chocolate to the bowl;

3. In a separate glass bowl sift the flour together with the cocoa powder;

4. Pour the melted chocolate and butter into a large glass bowl as soon as it has melted;

5. Grease an oven dish with a little bit of melted butter using a pastry brush and then sprinkle with a liberal dusting of flour;

6. Add the eggs in one at a time to the chocolate mixture while continuing to whisk constantly;

7. Combine the dry ingredients with the chocolate mixture and fold them together using a spatula;

8. When the mixture is smooth and velvety fold the sugar and a pinch of salt into the mixture;

9. Pour the mixture into the greased oven dish and use a spatula to spread it around the tray evenly;

10. Bake the brownies in the oven for 40 minutes at 180C/360F;

11. Remove the brownies from the oven and place the dish on a wire rack to help cool them down;

12. Make sure they are cooked by inserting a cocktail stick or skewer, if it comes out clean without any wet mixture they are cooked;

13. When the brownies cool down flip them out of the tray and portion them up making sure to serve with a glass of milk.